Has permanently moved to JOHNVOELZ.COM.
Some of you may be using the old blogspot URL to end up here. I will no longer be posting here. I will be using JOHNVOELZ.COM exclusively.
Please follow me there. Thanks! And, sorry for the hassle.

Buy the AUDIOBOOK of "Broken Record" here. Read by the author.

Me

Gigs::::I am "The Curator" and one of two lead pastors at Westwinds Church in Jackson Michigan. I am an author, painter, songwriter, and musician. I have recorded 8 albums to date::::I blog here at johnvoelz.com.

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

It’s 2:30am and I am wired. I am perusing my iPod right now and have settled upon The Appleseed Cast’s “Peregrine” album as the soundtrack for this evening’s blog. It was a struggle for me to land on this particular soundtrack since The Shins new CD (that I picked up at Starbucks this afternoon) is out in my rental car. I have decided it is too cold to go outside and I am already in my jammies.

Today was the first day of re:create. If you have followed my blog, you know that re:create is my “noose-loosener.” Those of us in “professional” ministry need these times where we can get away and get a little lovin’ from our peeps—the people with whom we share common interests, struggles, passion, and vision. Like my friend Pat here.

For those of you wanting the play by play, I will give you some highlights.

This afternoon began with a very informal session the importance of blogging. We had the privilege of hearing from www.busymom.com blogger, Elizabeth as well as Brittney of www.nashvilleistalking.com. The conversation that ensued ranged from questions about why we should hassle the blogosphere to moving moments of watching a YouTube video of Carlos and Heather Whittaker’s (www.ragamuffinsoull.com) newly adopted son crawl across the floor to gaze upon a live video image of his grandfather. I have decided Carlos is way cooler than I am. Here are Carlos and His wife, Heather.

Sidenote: You can aspire to be cool if you want to. Nothing is stopping you. A good college try will usually land you somewhere in the camp of looking and acting like a member of Panic! At the Disco or a walking Abercrombie ad. However, when you aspire to be as cool as Carlos Whittaker, it is an undertaking that requires more than a wardrobe and a copy of the new Shins album. Carlos is the new standard for cool. He is the Thom Yorke of the blogosphere. He is one of many men and women who are setting the standard for progressive blogging. Hey, I just coined a new term. Progblogger.

I am going to buy the domain name right now. Hold on. I will be right back.

Okay, I just bought the domains www.progblogger.com; www.progblogger.net and www.progblogger.org. It’s official. Thank you to www.godaddy.com (who, by the way, had a dumb ad on Superbowl Sunday). But, I guess not dumb enough because I have bought 5 domains since watching their ad on Sunday. Dang. Advertising does work!

Here is the new word to spread around. Progblogger. I think I made it up.

Progblogger. (prog’-blaw-gur) noun. 1. A blogger who advocates and promotes change, progress, and improvement and seeks to influence other bloggers by setting the standard. 2. Carlos Whittaker

Don’t know how I will use the domains yet. But, in my mind, they are cool already.

Back to business . . .

My wife just stopped my blogging to tell me Zach Braff is talking about blogging on the Jimmy Kimmel show RIGHT NOW. Apparently, Zach blogged something while drunk and it bit him in the butt. There’s a lesson for us all. Don’t drink and type.

This evening was a great way to kick off the circus we know as re:create.

We had a private concert with the members of Pocket Full of Rocks, Big Daddy Weave, Building 429, newcomer Mark Roach (loved him, by the way), and many others. Loved the whole evening. (Picture of Mark Roach)

Especially . . .

The private concert with Amy Grant. I have a friend (Mike Pate) who always dreamed of kissing Amy Grant. I just always dreamed of meeting her. Amy has paid the price. Her well seasoned vocals and storytelling through song were in fine form tonight. Say what you want about Amy you nay-sayers who think you’re too cool. I’ll bet you are all humming Baby, Baby as you read this. Put Alanis (or Amy Lee, or Courtney Love, etc.) and Amy Grant against one another in a bar fight and my money is on Amy Grant. She’ll charm any one of those rocker chicks and then beat them down. Keep on doin’ your thing, Amy. P.S. Mike Pate, this picture is for you.